“People always talk about how that there’s no politics and values in math. That you can teach math and there’s no place for social justice. So let me tell you how Bob (Peterson) deals with that,” Lewis said.

She went on to describe a math story problem about money and the cost of pencils.

“That’s a very political statement because it’s all about consumerism – it’s about buying stuff, right?

“Bob Peterson tells them about José working in a factory making piecemeal clothes. He uses the same numbers and gets the same answer. And yes, math is political, too.”

Michigan’s largest teachers union will force arbitration in an effort to compel a rural school district to pay a $10,000 severance buyout to a former teacher convicted of molesting a teen boy.

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The disgraced teacher, Neal Erickson, had been a math and computer-education teacher at Rose City Middle School before he was convicted of having sex with the victim on multiple occasions. The sexual encounters began when the unidentified student was an eighth-grade student.

The boy’s father, John Janczewski, called the Michigan Education Association’s efforts to collect $10,000 for the convicted pedophile “ludicrous,” according to EAGnews.org. Janczewski notes that any money disbursed ought to go to his son, who is “out there trying to make it in this world all messed up.”

The criminal case against Erickson began when a seven-year-old photograph of the then-14-year-old boy was sent anonymously to the school board and superintendent. Details about what exactly was in the image are scant, but police concluded that the boy had sent it to Erickson in 2006.

The male in the photo, who is later graduated and attended Western Michigan University, told police that he and the pedophile teacher had a homosexual relationship.

There were about 10 encounters. They involved oral sex. They occurred at the teacher’s house.

According to EAGnews, the sexual relationship lasted a few years.

Erickson pleaded guilty to a single count of criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced in July to 15 to 30 years in prison.

The police investigation into Erickson’s sex crimes began in October 2012, and it was then when he was placed on paid administrative leave.

In late March 2012, school district officials offered a $10,000 buyout for qualifying teachers who resigned that year. The buyout was a routine cost-cutting measure.

The union is arguing that Erickson was still employed in March 2012 and then later resigned. Implicit in the argument is that the child molester also meets the qualifications for the buyout. Thus, the union claims, Erickson should receive $10,000.

West Branch-Rose City school district superintendent Dan Cwayna declined to authorize the payment to Erickson.

“That was a decision the superintendent makes and at this point,” Cwayna told EAGnews, “I prefer not to get into the reasons.”

Union representative Ron Parkinson was similarly tight-lipped.

“We don’t make a practice of discussing any case,” Parkinson told the website. “It’s based on contractual compliance, and that’s really all I can say.”

Janczewski, the molested boy’s father, was a little more vocal.

“What are you going to say when you’re backing a child molester?” he asked incredulously.

Prior to Erickson’s sentencing, six current teachers and two retired ones penned letters to the presiding judge seeking leniency for their child-molesting colleague. The group – along with board member Michael Eagan – also sat with Erickson’s relatives during his sentencing hearing.

The letters painted a flattering picture of the convicted pedophile.

“I am asking that Neal be given the absolute minimum sentence, considering all the circumstances surrounding this case,” wrote concerned teacher Amy Huber Eagan, for example. Eagan, Michael Eagan’s wife, also asked the judge to send the child molester to the county lockup, not some real prison.

The judge, Michael Baumgartner, told the audience he was disgusted by the support shown by Erickson’s colleagues.

“I’m appalled and ashamed that the community would rally around, in this case, you,” the judge said.

Usually lackluster Rose City was a crazy scene after the sentencing hearing. The case created a lot of strife. An arsonist burned down the garage belonging to the Janczewski family.

The arsonist also spray-painted “YWP-ITY” on the side of the Janczewski house, notes Eagnews. Police say the letters are likely an acronym for “You will pay, I told you.”

The Janczewskis were among the most vocal residents pushing for the school board to remove the six current teachers and the school board member who showed support for Erickson.

At a summer school board meeting called to quell local furor, several parents promised to pull their kids from the school district unless the board immediately fired teachers who supported Erickson.

The school district opted to keep the teachers.

Meanwhile, John Janczewski continues to spearhead an effort to recall the school board member who sat with the child molester’s relatives in a show of support in open court.

While a guest on a local Chicago radio show, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) VP Jesse Sharkey was questioned over his recent participation in the Midwest Marxism Conference and refused to answer why he was there and what relationship the Chicago Teachers Union has with the conference and sponsoring organization, the International Socialists Organization. Sharkey, who was documented by Breitbart News attending the Marxist conference at Northwestern University last month, appeared caught off-guard and struggled to respond to the question.

WLS radio’s Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft had Sharkey on their show to discuss the ongoing school closing battle between the CTU and the Chicago Public Schools. Sharkey had been discussing the Chicago Teachers Union’s network of coalitions that supported the recent teachers strike, when Proft asked him to address the union’s relationship with “revolutionary movements.”

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Sharkey first stammered that Proft’s question was “McCarthyism,” but when he persisted [Editor’s note: in an effort to keep Sharkey’s response intact, we have done our best to transcribe the stutters and “ums” as uttered]:

Sharkey: What our union has done, is work very hard to build a coalition between people who work in the schools and depend on the public schools and the people who go to school, the students and community… And, uhm, I think the fact that we’re dedicated to that is reflected in the fact that there’s been broad support for the things we’re trying to do.

Proft: Where do the revolutionary movements fit into that coalition? I understand that a couple weeks ago that you appeared at the Midwest Marxist Conference at Northwestern University to talk about the important support that Chicago teachers get from revolutionary movements’ use of the strike weapon. What’s the alignment with Marxist organizations and revolutionary movements?

Sharkey: Uh, uh, well look it, the, the, the um – every time that unions or social movements have raised issues about what’s fair and what isn’t in base and equality, people have branded them as communist. I, I know…

Proft: Wait a second. You spoke? Did you, or did you not, speak at the Midwest Marxist Conference?

Sharkey: I… [pause] No I did not speak at the Midwest Marxism Conference.

Wolf: You were there though.

Proft: You didn’t?

Wolf: You were there.

Sharkey: Uh.

Wolf: You were there. We’ve got you on video there. Why were you there?

Sharkey: Eh. Look, look guys, I mean, if you want to have me on as part of a, uh, uh, witch-hunt…

Wolf: It’s not a witch-hunt. What do you believe?

Proft: You attended this conference, I’m just asking you what value you derive from this conference and how you see revolutionary movements as so described to connect to the teachers unions, that’s all. It’s not a witch-hunt. It’s something you did.

During the conference, a heavy focus was placed on the relationships between revolutionary organizations, including the International Socialist Organiation’s intervention in the Chicago Teachers’ strike.

In a breakout session about Marxism and education, Sharkey participated by discussing what he referred to as an interesting dilemma regarding the challenges facing a revolutionary movement isolated by geography and chronology in relation to the lack of other concurrent revolutionary movements:

It’s very hard to have a huge struggle in Chicago over the set of things that are being pushed – education reform, or frankly workplace reform – and not have that struggle taken up anywhere else.

Just in the same way, it’s hard to have you know, if one freight way, has got wages that are $10 an hour higher than their competitors. Guess what! The logic is that high wage place gets smashed down, and that’s the logic of the market. And it’s only when you start to generalize that there could be some alternative to that, that you have the ability to push back…

The magic of struggle is just how easy it is to generalize those lessons. Whether it’s Wisconsin or Occupy or the CTU strike.

Sharkey then went on to joke about class discrimination lawsuits over what is considered appropriate attire for female teachers in schools.

This occurred at the same all-day event where, upon being labeled as “not in solidarity” and recognized as a Breitbart News correspondent, I was forcefully removed by a group of teachers, social workers, and others members of the ISO attending the Marxism conference.

WLS radio’s follow-up coverage of the Chicago Teachers Union’s presence at the conference (they were even selling CTU t-shirts in the foyer) provided some additional light on the collaboration between the ISO and CTU leadership.

That is more than local mainstream media provided; two days later, after Sharkey’s appearance at the Midwest Marxism conference, I attended a protest being led by the CTU, ISO, and many leaders of socialist and communist organizations headquartered in Chicago. While there, I questioned Mr. Sharkey about his participation in the conference and the ISO’s celebration of their coordination with the Chicago Teachers Union during the teachers strike, but Sharkey refused to answer any of my questions.

I noticed that NBC Chicago’s Charlie Wojciechowski was also “covering” the protest. Thinking that he might be able to elicit a response, I briefly informed him as to Sharkey’s recent participation in the Midwest Marxism Conference, asking if he might raise the issue with Sharkey as part of NBC’s coverage.

I was more than taken aback when, besides just refusing, Wojciechowski sneered at my suggestion he cover this news, saying on camera, “Breitbart is full of shit.”

And true to his word, Wojciechowski’s coverage of the protest that day did not contain one mention of information he had been provided by Breitbart reporting about the organizers of the protest he was covering that day. By willfully covering news up from his audience, veteran mainstream news reporters like Charlie Wojciechowski essentially aid and abet their subjects in swindling the public.

The Chicago Teachers Union leadership has much to hide from the public. It was clear when, being recognized as “not in solidarity,” I as a journalist was booted from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where the Midwest Marxism conference was being held. It was even clearer when Sharkey, after being questioned on WLS about his presence at the conference, stammered and obfuscated rather than confirm his speaking at the conference.

But clearest of all is how unfortunate the Chicago public – and that includes the rank-and-file members of the teachers union – are to have a news network that abandons truth-seeking and coverage.

Perhaps the educators of Chicago’s children, after being used successfully as protest props in the recently well executed “strike weapon,” might want to take an honest look at who their leadership really is, who they are really fighting for, and think deeply about whether or not they are in the right fight.

A new video produced by the California Federation of Teachers – which could be playing in your child’s classroom as we speak – drums up the typical class warfare images we’ve come to expect from Big Labor.

“Tax the Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale,” written by CFT staffer Fred Glass (2011 compensation: $139,800) and narrated by proud leftist actor (and 1 percenter) Ed Asner, advocates for higher taxes on the “rich” as the cure for government’s insatiable thirst for spending.

The video claims the rich got rich through tax cuts and tax loopholes and even tax evasion.

But when the 99 percent fought back, the “rich” apparently urinated on the “poor,” at least according to the video. What a classy way to frame your argument for children, Big Labor.

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The video also claims that when the housing market crashed, the government printed money for “rich people” but they didn’t give any to “ordinary people whose houses and jobs were broken by the crash.”

That’s a patently false statement, as evidenced by a handy-dandy chart courtesy of the New York Times. Here’s a sampling of what was contained in President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package:

– Help states prevent cuts to essential services like education – $53.6 billion

– Create new bonds for improvements in public education – $10.9 billion

And the list goes on and on.

The California Federation of Teachers’ video is little more than unsurprising leftist propaganda, aimed to indoctrinate children with no basis in fact. Do you know if your child is watching it in school?

Between negotiating for more benefits and teaching their students, the California Federation of Teachers has adopted a resolution of support for convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.

At the CFT’s 2011 Convention in late March, the delegates passed 30 resolutions, from solidifying support for anti-bullying legislation to supporting transitional kindergarten. Among the resolutions largely pertaining to education and collective bargaining rights was Resolution 19 – to “Reaffirm support for death row journalist.”

“Therefore, be it resolved, that the California Federation of Teachers reaffirm its support and demand that the courts consider the evidence of innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal,” the Committee Report reads.

Mumia Abu-Jamal was a former member of the Black Panthers who was found guilty of murdering Philadelphia police officer Daniel J. Faulkner during a routine traffic stop in 1981. Abu-Jamal was subsequently sentenced to death.

His supporters, such as the California Federation of Teachers, argue that his trial was unfair and that he is a civil rights hero.

“Mumia Abu-Jamal has for decades as a journalist fought courageously against racism and police brutality and for the human rights of all people and has taken strong stands in support of working people involved in labor struggles and in support of well-funded, quality, public education,” the resolution reads.

Daniel Flynn, author of “Cop killer: How Mumia Abu-Jamal conned millions into believing he was framed” told The Daily Caller that Abu-Jamal was the poster-child for ending the death penalty… 20 – 30 years ago.

“Somebody should tell the California Teachers Federation that this is over, he is in jail, he is going to stay there,” Flynn said. “You have numerous eyewitnesses saying Mumia did it. You had ballistic evidence – Mumia’s gun at the scene was consistent with the bullet used to kill Faulkner. Mumia admitted after the fact that he did it.”

Fred Glass, CFT spokesman, told TheDC that the even though the case is 30 years old, since Abu-Jamal is still going through appeals, the issue remains relevant.

“The delegates decided it was time to reiterate that they supported him due to the irregularities that they felt had taken place during his case,” said Glass. “They see this as a civil liberties issue, it is quite common for the CFT to take positions on broad social matters like this.”

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) spokesman Tom Lansworth, said that this is an issue the national union has never before considered, however, it likely will appear before the AFT at their next convention.

“It appears that one of the intents of the California resolution is to present this issue to the next AFT convention, which will be next year. Our national convention is held every two years. So the California action is part of the normal process of proposing resolutions for debate by the national convention. This does not appear to be an issue that we have acted on before,” he told TheDC, adding he had no idea whether the AFT would adopt the resolution.

Either way, Flynn sees the action as the CFT showing their liberal stripes.

“The California Federation of Teachers is reacting to that long tradition on the left that takes murders and makes heroes out of them,” said Flynn.

A bill that would phase out tenure for new teachers and restrict collective bargaining on their salaries and benefits is on its way to the Idaho governor.

The GOP-backed measure cleared its final hurdle Tuesday in the state Legislature, where it passed the Idaho House on a 48-22 vote. Nine Republicans crossed party lines to oppose the bill.

The state’s teachers union, the Idaho Education Association, says it would gut teacher rights. It plans to protest Wednesday.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Supporters say the plan will give more power to Idaho’s locally elected school boards in labor relations issues. Opponents say it’s a slap in the face to teachers and a mean-spirited move to dismantle their union.